


Hell's Web

by WickedMuses



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gratuitous use of italics, Kidnapping, Naraku is a Full Demon, Obsessive Behavior, POV Alternating, Possessive Behavior, Reader is a Demon, Reader-Insert, Sesshoumaru Being an Asshole (InuYasha), Smut, Tentacles, Young Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:20:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25950493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedMuses/pseuds/WickedMuses
Summary: AUBy the time the daiyōkai began taking Naraku seriously, it was too late.
Relationships: Naraku (InuYasha)/Reader, Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)/Reader
Comments: 54
Kudos: 258





	1. War

The first time you'd heard mention of the monster that'd one day become the utter bane of your existence, it'd merely been gossip.

As you played by the shore, stacking seashells, you half listened to your mother conversing with her company; wives of other lords, generals, and high ranking daiyōkai.

Some spider demon without note was acquiring lands in the North.

Big deal. It was a passing topic of conversation at most.

Ambitious yōkai with delusions of grandeur popped up as commonly as grass, only to be cut down just as quickly, so no one paid it much mind; you even less so.

You were a child with very different priorities. Politics were of no interest to you, regardless of your status as a princess and the only daughter of the great dragon daiyōkai, Ryūtensei.

It was much easier to leave all the boring squabbles and disputes to your three older brothers, while you spent your days flitting about the southern islands where you resided.

“What're you _doing_?”

You turned to face the snobbish voice that had addressed you.

It was the son of a dog demoness from the West, looking bored.

He was still a young yōkai himself. By human standards he looked no older than twelve, though he had probably seen a few decades already. He was handsome with his long silvery hair and refined features, though his dour expression somewhat sullied his good looks.

“Building a castle.” You shrugged and added another shell to the strange little structure. “Wanna help?”

He scoffed.

“I have better things to do than waste my time with children's games.”

You scowled and shot back with, “Really? Like what?”

The young yōkai looked taken aback for a moment, like he hadn't expected a retort and you noticed he didn't have an immediate answer.

“You don't actually, do you?”

More than likely not, judging by his continued silence. He'd probably been dragged here by his mother, just like you had.

You clicked your tongue.

“So do you wanna see a trick?”

An eyebrow raised at the sudden switch in your mood and topic, but demon or not, you were still a child with a child's attention span.

Not bothering to wait for a verbal answer, you reached down into the sand and scooped up a small handful of the granules.

Making a fist, you squeezed the sand, brows furrowing and cheeks turning pink from the effort.

After a short time you uncurled your fingers to reveal several small pearls on the palm of your hand. It wasn't much and it took a lot of your very limited power to do, but you were proud of the ability and eager to show it off.

Your audience however, looked less than impressed.

He plucked one of the pearls from your hand and examined it before pinching his fingers together and easily crushing the tiny sphere into iridescent dust.

Perhaps he had not realized the jewel's fragility and it was an unintended action, because he seemed genuinely surprised when the tears began to gather in the corners of your eyes and you started to sniffle.

“Y-you're awful!” You cried, dropping the rest of the pearls and running to your mother.

It wasn't until several decades had passed that you even learned the name of the spider yōkai that had been the gossip of demon society when you where young.

_Naraku._

He'd gain quite a few loyal followers by then; expanding his territories and annihilating rivals succinctly.

When the demon lords spoke of him now, it was more than idle talk.

He was particularly vicious, razing entire “enemy” villages on a whim and allowing his subjects and loyalists to torment humans and demons alike without cause or repercussion.

Still, no significant action was taken against him as he remained within his own widening borders.

It would take more to distress the aloof daiyōkai, whose domains had not been affected.

Only the Great Dog General, Tōga, a demon unusually benevolent toward humans, was troubled by the growing presence of this Naraku and he sent word to your father requesting a meeting to assess the threat.

Though a bit of an oddity to his peers, the inudaiyōkai was powerful, well respected, and a friend of your father, who immediately agreed to host the Lord and his entourage at his castle.

Your father and brothers all cast you looks of surprise when you sat yourself at the assembly, though you paid them no mind.

More a socialite than a fighter, you did not usually participate in such gatherings, but you'd be damned if you missed any chance to catch a glimpse of the mighty Dog General up close and in the flesh.

He was impressive, without question; tall and attractive, but also very charming and kind.

When he addressed the group, he flashed a bright smile your way and you couldn't help the red that flooded your cheeks at the attention. He simply oozed charisma and you couldn't help but crush on the Western Lord, though whatever fuzzy feelings he inspired quickly fled when you felt the withering gaze of another upon you and turned to catch the eye of a different inuyōkai.

Same snowy white hair, same molten gold eyes, same beautifully sharp features... Tōga's son, the demon you'd first met so many years ago.

Unlike the General, however, Sesshōmaru was about as agreeable as a bear woken halfway through its hibernation.

After the meeting, as you wandered the garden, he caught you off guard; leaning against a beam as you passed by.

“Did you get your fill of gawking at my father?” he asked condescendingly.

“I could stand another glance.” you replied, cheekily meeting this glare as he pushed away from the wall and approached, no doubt trying to intimidate you with his imposing figure. He had a good deal of height on you, even with the coral like horns that sat atop your head.

He glowered down his nose like it was beneath him to speak to you, even though you'd been minding your own business just moments before. A habit of his...

“Are you some pup in heat?” he asked.

You bristled at his audacity.

A million scathing replies ran through your mind, but none made it to your tongue before your respective sires entered the scene, chatting amicably and completely ignorant or, more likely, uncaring of the tense atmosphere they'd walked into.

“How can you put on such a moody expression in the presence of a beautiful woman, Sesshōmaru. Are you really my boy?” Tōga jabbed playfully at his austere son and cast you a sly wink that made you weak in the knees.

“You flatter me, General.”

Sesshōmaru didn't respond, though he continued to stare you down intensely, until you wanted to squirm. Making a quick excuse to depart and bidding a polite farewell to the General and your father, you fled the garden and the sharp golden eyes that followed your retreat.

You two had never gotten along and neither of you had ever made an attempt to amend the curious animosity harbored there, butting heads any time you came in contact.

When he wasn't scowling at you from afar, he was criticizing you up close. You could not figure out how you drew the male's ire, but had always been more than happy to return it in kind. In recent years however, his rancor seemed to become more acute and honestly, you found it unnerving.

Needless to say, you were relieved when you heard they'd finally be leaving, having reached an agreement that, for now, there was not enough reason to challenge Naraku.

It would be another full century before the other daiyōkai lords began to take the threat that spider posed seriously, when he toppled the Great Bear King, Yamatsume, and usurped control over the northeastern countryside, setting his subjects loose to rape, murder, and wreak havoc as they pleased.

As his influence crept towards their own lands, your father and three brothers departed to face him.

They did not return for years and, when they did, half their forces were gone.

Your eldest brother, Ryūkotsusei, had turned traitor and slaughtered the soldiers along with your youngest brother, Tetsuryū, in return for Naraku's poisoned promises of power.

Of all your siblings, you and Tetsuryū had been the closest and his death hit you painfully hard.

Throughout the consequent year, there were reports in the human villages of a gleaming opalescent dragon soaring through sky and a somber song that carried mournfully on the wind in its wake.

The next war council you sat in on was far more grim and your attention was solely on the reports being given.

The enemy was stronger and more cunning than any of them had given him credit for. He played others like puppets, easily manipulating them to his will. Ryūkotsusei, was a testament to that.

It was he who announced the spider demon's audacious claim.

Naraku declared himself the Emperor of _all_ Yōkai and the war began in earnest.

The Great Yōkai War lasted almost two hundred years and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, including your mother and remaining brother. Of course, you weren't the only one to suffer losses.

On the plains of Musashi, Tōga fought your traitorous kin, emerging victorious, but was fatally wounded in the process and died from his injuries shortly after.

It was a heavy blow and immediately the tides turned.

With one of the most powerful daiyōkai slain, many others lost morale and surrendered, swearing fealty to the spider daiyōkai in hopes of being spared.

Your father, Sesshōmaru, and a handful of other powerful demons remained the last bastion against the tyrant. Your own offensive powers were limited, but centuries had cultivated other skills. You could form medicinal pearls with strong healing properties and moderately strong barriers. In your dragon form you had far more physical strength and you could shoot jets of water with enough pressure to slice boulders.

You used the gifts to assist as best you could, healing the wounded and protecting the small unguarded villages, but their situation was becoming increasingly obvious by the day; this was a war of attrition and they were losing.

One by one the castles and strongholds fell and Naraku decimated any adversary that failed to bend a knee to him. Even those who did were punished for not doing so sooner.

It was only a matter of time before the kumodaiyōkai and his army finally reached your gates.

As the warlord entered, the multitude of guards lining the chamber drew their weapons toward the intruder.

In the center of the room, you stood beside your father, his hand resting on your shoulder, supporting himself inconspicuously. His strength had been waning the last few years. You could heal his physical wounds, but the loss of his mate and male progeny had weakened his spirit considerably, though a scarce few besides yourself were privy to that sensitive information.

Naraku absolutely could _not_ find out about any frailties, lest he take advantage of them.

The demonic spider warlord did not appear how you expected.

Maybe it was all the tales of barbaric acts he had committed, but you'd thought he'd be more... brutish looking? Like an ogre, perhaps.

You didn't expect fair, unblemished skin, refined features, and flowing wavy onyx hair, nor the ruby red eyes that casually surveyed your father's hall.

“Ryūtensei.” He addressed your sire in a smooth, chilling voice, “I must commend your perseverance throughout our little game. I had expected to walk these grounds much much sooner. What a lovely....

His garnet eyes suddenly set on you, lips curling upwards. “... castle.”

You were ashamed to admit you averted your eyes, unable to hold his intense stare.

“You can have it.” the dragon lord responded gruffly and very much to your surprise.

“ _Father_?”

The daiyōkai paid no heed to your confused whisper, and you were further taken aback when he stepped away from you to kneel in front of the warlord.

“Take my castle and my lands, but spare those who live here. That is all I ask.”

You watched Naraku consider your father's plea, once powerful and proud, now reduced to _this_.

“ _All_ you ask?” the self proclaimed Emperor echoed. “You ask _much_ for a conquered foe. I've spared no enemy in this war. Why should that change now?” He looked almost bored; like he'd heard similar petitions a hundred times before. He very well may have.

“If it is a blood price you demand... take it from me.” Ryūtensei offered.

“What?! No, you _can't_!”

A raised hand silenced any further protest.

You bit your lip in vexation; unable to go against your father's will.

“I've had my fill of blood.” the spider daiyōkai answered the appeal flippantly. “I daresay _oceans_ of it. No; right now my interest is not in violence.”

Your father glanced up in confusion, but Naraku wasn't looking at him.

He was looking at you; quite hungrily.

“Not my daughter.” the dragon lord protested. “ _Anything_ else. She is all I have left.”

The warlord did not seem to be listening.

His gaze pinned you, making you feel akin to an insect caught in a web and you felt your heart pound against your rib cage. He was smirking, like he knew something...

As you took shallow breaths, you suddenly realized how heavy the air had gotten and the numbness that had begun to creep up your extremities.

To your left, a tsukubō clattered to the floor and a guard fell to his knees, eyes unfocused and pink saliva dribbling from his mouth; another followed soon after.

_Poisonous miasma_

They'd been warned of this, but for it to be _this_ undetectable... As soon as Naraku had entered their hall, they'd begun to inhale the subtle effluvium.

Like fools, they'd fallen right into his trap.

For what little good it would do, you covered your nose and mouth with your sleeve and moved to assist your father.

Your hand reached out for his armored shoulder.

So close.

Close enough that his blood splattered you generously when Naraku speared him through the chest with a jagged tentacle.

Your heart twisted in your chest.

“Though, since you _offered_ , I suppose I'll take your blood as well.”

The moment felt like it lasted an eternity as you watched everything move in slow motion.

The demonic limb lifted your still conscious father into the air before whipping to the side, flinging him across the chamber.

You screamed and tried to run to catch his falling body, but a pair of arms intercepted you, pulling you back into a broad chest.

“There, there, now.” the sadistic warlord shushed you as you struggled against him and the poison slowly turning your body to lead.

The last thing you saw was your father's bloodied form hit the ground with a grotesque crunch before everything faded to black.

When you awoke, your green slitted eyes instantly adjusted to the dark that surrounded you, but the only thing you could view was the ceiling.

Your arms and legs; not even your neck would respond to your urge to move.

Only your eyes and tongue remained free of miasma's paralysis you determined, trying to quell your growing panic.

_Calm down. Focus your energy. You're paralyzed, but not powerless._

If you concentrated you could neutralize the effects of the miasma in your body; a benefit of your healing abilities, but a toxin this powerful would take time.

“You're awake, princess.”

Time you evidently did not have.

Unable to turn towards the voice, you could only watch warily from the corner of your eyes as Naraku approached the futon you were sprawled upon.

As he got closer, you immediately noticed that his armor was gone and he was clad in nothing but a simple haori and pants.

“Nn- _nn_ na-a _a_ -”

You could move you tongue, but not your jaw.

A dark chuckle filled the room and he crouched down next to your prone body.

“You won't be able to move or speak while you continue to breathe in my miasma, but don't worry. It doesn't numb sensation.”

He made his point, when you felt his fingers run over your leg and you inwardly shivered.

Hooking a sharp claw into the fabric, you could only listen as he ripped long tears into your clothing, revealing more and more skin as he went.

_Stay calm.._

_Focus..._

“Even by demon standards, you're quite enticing. I can see why he wanted to keep you for himself.”

That caught your attention as confusion bloomed. Who was he talking about?

Before you could speculate, your thoughts scattered when his hand slipped between your thighs.

A clawed finger inched closer and closer to your core, but stopped just short of the juncture.

You were relieved when he pulled his hand away, though it was short lived as he bent down to whisper into your ear, his voice low and dangerous.

“ _Do you want to know what I'm going to do to you?”_

Within seconds your clothes were totally shredded, leaving you completely bare to the kumodaiyōkai's predatory gaze.

You wanted to shout for him to stop; demand he release you, but all that left your lips was a pathetic whine from your throat as Naraku removed his haori.

“Eager, are we?”

Reaching down, he grabbed one of your corallium horns, standing and painfully yanking your inert body up by the pink-orange prong as he did.

With his other hand he reached for his hakama, loosening and shifting the fabric to pull out his half engorged cock.

Your stomach turned and your breath quickened.

_Oh, Kami no._

Stroking himself to full imposing length, Naraku then took hold of your chin, running his thumb along your bottom lip before pushing the digit into your mouth and manually opening your jaw.

He pressed the pad of his thumb down on your tongue, moving it slowly over the muscle, the tip of his nail slicing the surface, though it was superficial and healed instantly.

“ _Very_ enticing. _”_ he purred.

You gagged when he thrust between your slack lips, choking on the thick flesh, even as your arms hung unresponsive at your sides.

He fucked your mouth until it felt like your jaw would become unhinged, using your horns to maneuver your head up and down his girth and grunting when he shot strings of sticky cum over your face and chest.

Your tine was released and you fell back onto the futon like a rag doll.

You wanted to puke, you wanted to scream, and more than anything, you wanted to wipe his foul semen from your body. Concentrating on your fingertips, you tried to make the thin appendages bend.

_Move... please move...._

Your index finger twitched, but your focus was interrupted once more when Naraku knelt down and situated himself between your legs.

Grabbing your breasts and leaning down; the spider squeezed the soft flesh as he buried his face between them, slowly dragging his hot tongue over the skin of your sternum.

“I expected you to smell like that stinking dog.” He noted offhandedly. “How pleasing it is to discover otherwise.”

_Dog? He couldn't mean-_

The thought went unfinished.

There was no preparation before Naraku plowed forward and a strangled cry tore from your throat as he penetrated you forcefully.

“By the end of this,” he gazed down at you with those cruel eyes; red as blood. “He won't find a single inch of you that doesn't bear my scent.”

He drew back until he'd almost completely withdrawn from you before thrusting in again, painfully stretching your inner walls that constricted reflexively to the intrusion.

He hissed in pleasure.

“When that pretty little mouth of yours works again,” he grinned. “You'll have to tell me how I compare to your precious mutt, princess. For instance..”

He ground against you and leered at your limited expression of discomfort.

“... Does his cock fill you up as well as mine does?”

Your toes bent as function returned to them, though your legs were still immobile.

Desperately, you tried to move your limbs, but you'd never dealt with a poison so strong; every cell felt like it was frozen in ice, even while Naraku burned you from the inside out.

What's worse, he seemed to have targeted you over some imagined romantic connection between yourself and _Sesshōmaru_ of all yōkai?

Absolutely ridiculous!

The idea would be laughable if you weren't being viciously ravaged because of it.

His hands moved all over your body; kneading, pinching, violating every part of you.

While he started off with a slow dragging motion, in and out, making sure you felt every inch of his thickness, he'd since quickened to short, harsh thrusts.

You felt like you were being torn apart as he fucked you into the floor.

Finally, you were able to close your fingers into a fist and, gathering all your strength to your arm, you tried to shove the warlord off. As soon as you raised the limb however, it was seized and slammed back against the futon, not by his hand, but by a grotesque tendril that had sprouted from his back.

“Did you think I didn't notice you weakening my toxin, princess?”

He hardly even slowed his pace as he mocked your effort to escape and your eyes widened as a second tentacle burst forth, wrapping tightly around your other wrist.

With the two extra appendages, Naraku effortlessly flipped you onto your stomach before grabbing your hips, pulling them back, and reinserting himself with a deep groan.

“S-stop!” you cried out, your vocals finally returning to you as well.

His large hands kept your hips in place as your wrists remained pinned to the floor in front of you by the serpentine limbs.

“Why would I stop?” he laughed maliciously. “When you're squeezing me so tight? When you feel so _damn exquisite?”_

“It hurts! _Please_ ~” You whimpered into the bedding, biting down on the cushion as he curved his body over yours, nuzzling against the pointed shell of your ear.

“ _Just like that_.” he whispered huskily, slowing his motions back down to a torturous crawl. _“Beg me just like that.”_

Anything.

You would do anything to get him off you, so that's just what you did. You begged like he wanted; pleaded for his mercy.

You couldn't see his face, but you could hear the depraved satisfaction in his response, a simple damning “No.”

In a moment, his rough pace resumed, pounding into your poor pussy like he meant to break you. You were certain that's exactly what he was trying to do.

The heavy panting over your shoulder was audible as you felt his rhythm become irregular, before his claws dug into the flesh of your hips and pulled you flush against him.

“ _No!”_ You cried, trying to struggle free, but he held you firmly as he shot his load deep inside of you.

For a full minute he refused to release you, pumping into you a few more times as though to be sure you received every drop. Was he trying to get you with child? The very thought... How sickening.

Finally he let go of your limbs and you numbly scrambled across the room to get away from the demon.

“You made a mistake.” You spat, “I'm not Sesshōmaru's mate; he _hates_ me, so if you're trying to use me to hurt him, you chose the worst possible person.”

“Oh really?”

With a gesture of his hand, the door behind him slid open and a pale, expressionless, demon child stood holding a circular mirror in her small hands. On the normally reflective surface there was a scene of the aforementioned inuyōkai, striking down enemy after enemy as he cut a path through Naraku's territory. “Then why is he headed here as we speak?”

  
  



	2. Memory

Sesshōmaru could smell what he would find, long before he came upon the scene, though it didn't make it any less gruesome a sight.

'Massacre' was the only accurate term to describe what had occurred at Ryūtensei's castle.

The bodies of yōkai littered the halls and courtyards; hanging limp over balconies and slumped against walls. Adults and children alike, torn apart; brutally butchered at Naraku's command. His wretched scent saturated the air along with the overwhelming smell of death.

In the main hall he found the dragon lord, pierced through and lifeless, but a thorough search revealed the ryūdaiyōkai's daughter was not among the numerous dead.

_Mark my words, Sesshōmaru._

A low growl rumbled deep in the dog demon's chest as he recalled the provocation of his foe during one of their countless skirmishes.

_All that is yours, I will destroy. Until you are left with nothing, but pain._

As one of the most resilient obstacles to his rule, Naraku held a special contempt for the young western lord. They'd fought over and over, neither able to best the other permanently,

Both daiyōkai were determined to find an exploitable weakness to tip the scales. Sesshōmaru thought he had done well in concealing such information that could be used against him, but somewhere, somehow, the damned spider had found out about his connection to the demoness.

_Centuries earlier_

_Coming from such amicable parents, Sesshōmaru was an anomaly._

_Uninterested in the nuances of the yōkai aristocracy he was born into, the dog demon had few social skills and fewer friends, despite his mother and father constantly dragging him all over the countryside from one soiree to another._

_He simply exuded an aura of superiority that made him rather unapproachable, even as a young pup._

_He considered it all a hassle; an annoyance he'd put up with until he came into his own. Confident in his strength and pedigree, Sesshōmaru knew it was only a matter of time before he'd be calling the shots, but until then..._

“ _There's my boy!”_

_He resisted the urge to groan._

_Tōga spotted his son, who'd been standing in the shadows, trying to be invisible to surrounding company._

_He knew his young heir wouldn't be thrilled with the news he was about to be given, but he'd come to accept it in time._

_In order to settle a millennia old feud between the Western Dog Clan and the Southern Dragon Tribe started by their ancestors, an arrangement had been made between himself and Ryūtensei, the dragons' current patriarch._

_Ryūtensei wife had just given birth to his fourth child. It was a girl; his only one, and he suggested a betrothal to ease relations between the two powers; his daughter to Tōga's son._

_When he spoke to his mate of the suggestion, the female inudaiyōkai gave a full-bodied laugh and noted that, with their son's chilly disposition, it may be the **only** way the young lord would find a mate. He took that as her concurrence towards the proposal. _

_Sesshōmaru however, was **not** in agreement._

_His objections were frequent, vehement, and also completely ignored._

_He tried to appeal to his mother instead, but she simply responded that he'd be more open to the idea once he was older, commenting that the southern lord's wife was very lovely and so their daughter would probably be as well._

_Sesshōmaru couldn't care less about any of that. It was the **principle** of the matter._

_When he saw her for the first time, frivolously playing with shells in the sand, he'd already decided that he hated her._

_By the end of the encounter the feeling was mutual._

_Despite the enmity between the betrothed offspring; the arrangement made by the two lords still, surprisingly, resulted in the desired effect._

_Finding themselves similar in temperament and values, Ryūtensei and Tōga became fast friends; even fighting side by side in a number of battles._

_By the time the dragon lord's daughter was a preadolescent, there was hardly a need for the contractual union, as the clans had not clashed since._

_They broke off the engagement with young demoness blissfully ignorant that she'd ever been intended for the icy inuyōkai that antagonized her most her childhood._

_When given the news, Sesshōmaru was mostly dismissive._

_If anything, he considered it a relief, though he could not stop thinking about his mother's response when he'd told her as much._

“ _I wonder how long you'll feel that way?” She'd asked._

_What a senseless question. Why would he feel any differently?_

_Eventually he **would** understand, though not until almost ten years later._

_Once he'd become independent, Sesshōmaru tended to avoid the gatherings he despised as a child, though a few exceptions were made; the Festival of the Moon was one of them._

_It always been one of the more important events for his kin, but his own interest lay more in an activity that took place during the festivities every year._

_Mock battles between the daiyōkai elite._

_It was an annual chance to settle disputes officially and bloodlessly, while simultaneously flaunting strength and skills._

_Sesshōmaru never participated in the demonstrations, finding it rather foolish to reveal all your strengths and techniques so casually, but it would be equally foolhardy not to take the chance to learn about the abilities of braggart yōkai that held no such qualms._

_After all; a friend today could be an enemy tomorrow._

_Every year brought new quarrels and this year most of them seemed to be with Ryūtensei's youngest son, Tetsuryū, which was an oddity considering the male's generally genial demeanor._

_Sesshōmaru watched him best several talented daiyōkai before he learned why the young southern lord had received so many challenges in the first place._

_They were trying to gain favor with the his sister, Sesshōmaru's former intended, who'd recently come of age._

_The yōkai princess was from a powerful and influential, family; so to have suitors was not uncommon, but just as his mother had predicted, she had also grown up to be quite the vision, increasing her number of admirers all the more. Furthermore, her restorative yōki was a rare and coveted power that would be highly beneficial to any clan that possessed it._

_Needless to say, she'd attracted the attention of quite a few men and, apparently exasperated with the constant propositions, the ryūyōkai had declared she wouldn't look twice at any prospect that could not win a match against one of her brothers._

_Of the three of them, Tetsuryū, being the youngest, was singled out to be the easiest target and so was challenged the most._

_He also happened to be the most lenient of the three._

_The few yōkai that tried their luck with Ryūkotsusei, out of hubris or ignorance, were promptly dispatched to the netherworld by the least patient of the siblings._

_Middle brother, Soratatsu, avoided the whole circumstance all together simply by making himself scarce. No one had seen scale nor claw of the most reclusive of the dragon lord's progeny since the festival started._

_Of course, just because he was the youngest with a cheery disposition, didn't mean Tetsuryū was anyone to trifle with._

_No one had defeated him yet._

_Sesshōmaru observed another overeager yōkai get slammed face first into the ground by the cobalt haired ryūyōkai and couldn't help but feel derision for the lot them. Most daiyōkai were more pomp than actual skill these days, it would seem; fighting for a woman that'd been fated to be his until a mere decade ago._

_**Pathetic.** _

Sesshōmaru took careful stock of everything as he entered Naraku's castle, but the place seemed deserted. He'd encountered few yōkai as he navigated the structure, easily dispatching those he did.

Finally he came to the main hall, where the self proclaimed emperor held an expression of smug arrogance as he sat leisurely on his throne.

“Sesshōmaru.” Naraku greeted with a sneer, rising from the ornate chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Even as he posed the question, six meters above the warlord, suspended from webs, was the answer.

She was unconscious, arms outstretched like wings and her body wrapped in the silken fibers.

Sesshōmaru kept his facade calm even as his blood boiled and he locked his gaze on the spider.

“Release her.” the lord ordered sharply.

Naraku's response was a humorless chuckle. “Certainly.”

He snapped his fingers and the webbing followed suit, dropping the demoness into his waiting arms.

“Despite your supposed claim of her, she was free of your scent.” The spider demon mentioned casually.

Cradling her close to his body, he carefully removed a stray filament from the ryūyōkai's brow, trailing the tips of his fingers over her cheek and lips before looking back to a seething Sesshōmaru with a wicked smirk.

“You've never actually _had_ her, have you?”

The threatening growl that the dog demon produced was a low deep rumble that resonated even in the large space.

A warning, unheeded as Naraku taunted him further.

“Would you like to know how she feels?” he asked. “How she _tastes_?”

In an instant, Sesshōmaru had crossed the room with his claws aimed for the spider's throat, but the daiyōkai evaded the attack, though at the cost of surrendering his hostage.

Sesshōmaru caught the limp demoness, but as soon as he made contact, her form reverted into a small wooden figure with a strand of her hair tied around it.

Naraku's mocking laughter rang out as his adversary crushed the wood in his palm in irritation.

“Perhaps you'd like to know what she screams when I _fuck_ her?”

A whip of light tore through the air, slashing the warlord, but he too was nothing but a controlled puppet that clattered to the ground in pieces, though his disembodied voice continued on.

“Do not worry, Sesshōmaru. I _will_ return her to you...” It promised, echoing through the dissolving structure.

“After I've _completely_ broken her. _”_

The illusion faded.

The castle was a fake; nothing but a diversion.

You tried to remain silent as sinewy tentacles slithered over your body, biting your tongue as your captor suckled at the column of your neck. You'd learned the hard way that struggling only seemed to delight him further.

He held you in his lap with your back against his chest, one clawed hand groping your breast and the other between your legs, fingering your cunt. One set of long fleshy appendages were wrapped around your knees, keeping your legs from closing, while another pair held your wrists securely above your head. A third still, coiled around your other breast, squeezing and sliding over your skin like a vulgar serpent.

It'd been days since you were captured and, while Naraku had made you well aware of his intentions to take his pleasure, kill you, and discard your ravaged body for Sesshōmaru to find, he'd yet to act on the latter two elements of his plan.

At first, the threat had been a torment on your mind, the fear of knowing your days were shortly numbered, but the more time that passed began to increase your desire for that promised moment when he'd finally be done with you.

He made you watch through the demon child's mirror, every false castle Sesshōmaru toppled in his fruitless search; ridiculing the western lord as a dog chasing his tail. You merely watched on, unsure of why the inuyōkai was searching for you so fervidly, but grateful nonetheless, even if you'd probably be dead before he ever reached Naraku's true lair.

If your death meant freedom from _this_ , you'd welcome it.

You cried out when he suddenly pinched your clit, your legs trembling as you fought against the tentacles, ineffectively. You cursed the talisman that hung around your throat, preventing you from being able to shift into your dragon form.

Naraku removed his fingers and you felt the pressure of the bulbous head of his erection, stretching you as he entered; a satisfied hiss fanning over your skin. How many times had he raped you now? You'd lost count.

Pleading would do no good; he loved when you begged him. So when you spoke, it came out as a simple question; mere fatigued curiosity.

“Will you not kill me soon?”

The kumodaiyōkai unexpectedly stilled and several seconds of heavy silence followed.

You thought for a moment, he wouldn't answer at all.

“You wound me, princess.” he breathed into your ear, feigning dejection. “Are you not enjoying our time together?”

You did not respond as you felt the tentacles snake their way over your body. The ones restraining your legs forced them to spread wider and the spider demon bucked his hips, seating himself to the hilt and making you wince.

“ _I_ am.” he added.

He was particularly aggressive with you after that, seemingly unsatisfied until you cried for his forgiveness.

When you were finally left alone, you tried once more to remove the talisman, yanking at the braided cord desperately, trying to pull it off; even chewing on it, but it was woven with spells and you couldn't even lift it over the top of your head.

Feeling defeated, you curled up on the torn futon, the room's sole feature, and waited for sleep to overtake you.

_You knew you should be respectful, but you couldn't help but enjoy watching yōkai fail one after another against Tetsuryū._

_After the last of them had limped away in defeat you practically skipped over to your favorite sibling with praise on your lips, but before you could voice it, he knocked you in your forehead with his knuckle._

“ _Ow! What's that for?!”_

“ _You know how much trouble this is for me?” he berated, while you rubbed the sore spot. “I can hardly enjoy the festival for all the damn challenges I'm getting!”_

“ _Don't be angry, Tetsu-nii.” You pouted. “You wouldn't want me to have to marry some old geezer, right?”_

“ _Don't you have a thing for the Dog General? You know he's a thousand years older than you...”_

“ _I meant some old_ _ **ugly**_ _geezer._ _” you specified._

“ _You can marry a fish yōkai for all I care.”_

“ _So cruel.” You lamented, though you both knew it was only jest. There wasn't much Tetsuryū wouldn't do for his little sister._

“ _How many challenged you?”_

“ _Today? Hmm.. seven, I think.”_

“ _Eight.”_

_Your smile fell as you turned towards the approaching voice; all too familiar with its cool, imperious tone._

“ _Sesshōmaru..” You greeted, though it came out sounding more like a question. Why would he... ?_

“ _Before you get any ideas; I'm only interested in a test of strength.” The inuyōkai began, casting you an indifferent glance. “Nothing else.”_

_Feeling slighted, you huffed and turned to your brother._

_“You don't have to agree to it. Let's get something to eat.”_

_But, to your surprise, Tetsuryū shook his head before looking over to Sesshōmaru with an uncharacteristically pointed expression. “I accept.”_

_The rules were simple: no weapons, no killing._

_The two daiyōkai sized each other up as you watched from the sidelines with a number of others that had caught wind of the duel. Through the chatter you heard some making wagers._

“ _My bet is on Tōga's boy.” One itachiyōkai said. “Tetsuryū doesn't have that ruthlessness to him.”_

“ _You obviously weren't paying attention earlier.” responded a red-haired demoness. “The young dragon has all but wiped the floor with every yōkai that's faced him.”_

“ _Bah! Weaklings from weak blood trying to marry into power-”_

_There was a sudden burst of jaki, strong enough to silence the murmuring onlookers and the fight had begun. The two of them moved with incredible speed that human eyes would have trouble following._

_Avoiding the use of claws and weapons, they relied solely on concussive force and every hit seemed to make the very air vibrate._

_Your brother was fast, but Sesshōmaru was faster and, while you had great confidence in Tetsuryū's strength; he'd already fought several times and you could tell the dog's strikes were wearing him down._

_Cheering for one side or the other during the mock battles was considered ill mannered, but you couldn't help whispering encouragements to your brother under your breath._

“ _Come on, Tetsu-nii. You can defeat that jerk.”_

_Unfortunately, that wasn't the case._

_The clash only lasted about ten minutes, with Sesshōmaru emerging victorious and Tetsuryū knocked out on the ground._

_You hurried over to tend to your brother, but your progress was halted when the aloof daiyōkai stepped in front of you._

_Your first instinct was to snap at him, but the harsh words died on your tongue, when his jaki washed over you like a heavy wave._

_Powerful, overwhelming; it seemed to seep into your skin, cowing you and draining your defiance._

_Your intended insult came out as a feeble “...excuse me.” instead as you yielded to the lord._

_Without moving, Sesshōmaru gave you a silent, assessing look and you fidgeted under his scrutiny._

_Why was he just staring at you?_

_Finally the pressure of his aura seemed to lighten and you regained some of your nerve, sidestepping the inudaiyōkai with a wary glance to access your sibling._


	3. Claim

Even while he was away from his castle dealing with a variety of other matters, Naraku frequently found himself summoning Kanna, who he kept with him so as to peek in on his recently acquired pet.

It had been _Ryūkotsusei,_ who'd originally told him of the abandoned engagement between his sister and Sesshōmaru, though at the time Naraku considered the information relatively useless.

He was more preoccupied with dealing with their fathers and the great yōkai generals that stood against him.

It wasn't until centuries later, after Tōga was dead and his pup had truly become a thorn in his side, that Naraku recalled the information given to him by the traitorous dragon.

By then, he was growing bored of the ongoing tedious war against the stubborn remaining few. He'd grasp at any advantage to stamp out the last of his opposition and this had seemed rather promising.

Snuffing out the r _y_ ūhime would be a blow to both Sesshōmaru and Ryūtensei and, though he'd never laid his own eyes on the woman, Ryūkotsusei described his younger sister as a gentle, effervescent fool; an easy target.

Accounts from his spies confirmed her nature; she was a healer with limited offensive capabilities.

_How_ _perfect_ _._

That day in the daiyōkai's hall, he'd meant to kill her, then and there.

He'd savor the look of horror and grief on her sire's face before slaying him as well and he'd demoralize Sesshōmaru by his accumulating losses, before putting the mutt down once and for all.

That had been the plan, until he'd laid eyes on her.

Skin like porcelain, hair like lapis, eyes like emeralds, and those tempting ruby lips.

Such a sweet, delicate thing, trying valiantly to appear unafraid as she stood by her diminished father, so loyal despite her vulnerability.

The display roused a dark lust in the warlord.

To shatter such a precious gem would simply be a waste, he'd concluded.

At least without fully _appreciating_ it first.

_The night of the Festival of the Moon found Sesshōmaru in the arms and, to be more accurate, between the legs of a voluptuous yōkai woman._

_His exclusive victory over your brother had garnered plenty of interest and more than a little came from females with rather **carnal** propositions for the lord. _

_Power was a common aphrodisiac; doubly so for their kind._

_Choosing the most comely of them, he accepted the favors she offered; his own mood still charged by the earlier events of the evening and in need of an outlet._

_He repeatedly thrust into the lascivious woman and, though she was quite attractive, his thoughts were occupied by another._

_He envisioned your face from before; the moment he'd let his aura overcome you after the fight._

_That instant docility... That expression of deference where there was normally such distaste._

_Your mind might object, but your body knew who it should submit to; instinctively knew who it should belong to._

_The strongest; the **best**._

_Him. Obviously._

_The female yōkai moaned as he increased his pace, vigor sparked by the recollections._

_There was no comparable competition._

_Even if their intended union had been set aside, despite his claim of disinterest, he'd still met the stipulation you'd set for your suitors and there was the indisputable fact that he'd been the only one to do so._

_Where many other failed, he had triumphed. The implicit accolades were rightly his. **All** of them.  
_

“ _Oh, lord Sesshōmaruuu~!” the woman practically screeched as she came and Sesshōmaru grimaced at the piercing sound._

_Would you sound like that, he wondered, but greatly doubted it._

_Though you typically addressed him with animus, the voice you used with others was soft, lyrical._ _He'd even admit that your singing was pleasing to the ear, having heard it on occasion when he'd visit the dragon's domain._

_No; he imagined the noises he would coax from your lips would be just as satisfying as the countenance you'd presented to him hours before and you'd cry out for him in that sweet timid voice as he claimed you._

_The thought of it excited him, hastening his climax, and he pulled out of the woman, spilling his seed onto the ground. He wouldn't be responsible for any unintended whelps._

_Unlatching her arms from his body, Sesshōmaru promptly dressed, and departed without a word of explanation to the baffled demoness._

_His decision was made._

_More than likely you'd be with your father and mother at the peak of the mountain, along with other daiyōkai, drinking under the light of the moon, as was festival tradition._

_Sure enough, as he ascended the mountain, he spotted you in a small crowd a good distance away, conversing genially with a tokkuri bearing servant, of all people._

_With a determined stride, the young lord headed in that direction, along the carved out mountain face, but was obstructed partway there by none other than_ _Tetsuryū._

_How bothersome._

_“Step aside.”_

_The ryūyōkai didn't budge, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes._

_“You said a test of strength was your_ _only_ _interest.”_

_“Where my interest lies is no business of yours, boy.”_

_“It does, when it involves my sister.” he snapped back. “Especially when you seek her out still_ _**reeking** _ _of fornication. Have you dogs no decency?”_

_In the blink of an eye, Tetsuryū was slammed against the stone, hard enough to generate cracks upon the surface, held up by his throat in the displeased lord's harsh grip._

_The few yōkai around them scurried away immediately to go revel somewhere safer._

_“I would suggest you not test my patience further and choose your next words carefully.”_

“ _You may think you hold some exclusive privilege, but she never even knew about it.” the young dragon managed, despite the vice-like claws around his neck._

_Sesshōmaru raised a brow at the sibling. “About what?”_

_“The betrothal.. she never knew she was supposed to-”_

_“What are you_ _**doing** _ _?!”_

_They both turned to see you approaching hastily and Sesshōmaru loosened his grip, letting Tetsuryū slip free._

_Of course you came to the defense of your brother, even without any context of the situation, stepping between the two males without hesitation._

_You checked your brother over before turning to glare up at the silver haired daiyōkai, your green eyes flashing sharply._

_“You already proved your strength earlier. What_ _**more** _ _do you want, Sesshōmaru?”_

_“Only what I deserve.” he replied vaguely, once again appraising the demoness before him._

_You really had grown into a exceptionally beautiful woman; a treasure to be fought over._

_The alpha male in him howled for its reward and his mother's decade old words sprung to mind._

_“_ _**I wonder how long you'll feel that way?”** __  
_

_He could vividly picture her smug grin now; the one that screamed 'I told you so.'_

_You scoffed._

_“I'm not sure what you_ _**deserve** _ _, Sesshōmaru, but you_ _**need** _ _some manners.”_

_With that, you grabbed your brother's arm and practically dragged him away. “Come on, Tetsu-nii, father and mother are waiting.”_

_Sesshōmaru watched the siblings silently until they disappeared from sight._

_So you were never told you'd once been promised to him and it would seem your antipathy of him wouldn't be shaken so easily._

_Obviously it would take a little more effort than a display of power to subdue the spirited_ _ryūhime._

_The barest suggestion of a smirk briefly ghosted across the inuyōkai's lips at the challenge._

You'd been surprised when you were granted the freedom to roam, though it was clear almost immediately that you'd be permitted no privacy and escape would be all but impossible.

The entire structure sat at the heart of a swirling miasma that sapped the life from everything outside of the castle's barrier. From the highest vantage point you could access, you looked out at the bones that littered the surrounding forest of withered trees.

So much devastation...

Naraku seemed to mean death for anything that crossed his path. So why was he taking so long to kill you?

You could not think of a more miserable place to be trapped. The spider demon's foul jaki pervaded the entire premises and the very air sapped your strength. There wasn't much you could do, but wander the seemingly endless corridors that made up the fortress.

Despite its size, you'd encountered no other yōkai here so far, besides the giant wasp-like demons that followed you around the castle, whenever Naraku left.

Saimyōshō, he called them; his insect sentinels. He saw what they saw and they _never_ left you alone.

Their constant buzzing drove you crazy, but killing them did nothing except use what meager energy you had. Just like the corridors, there seemed to be no end to the persisting bugs.

You walked through hall after hall, opening door after door, but most were empty rooms and none led to an exit. The castle was obviously enchanted in more ways than one...

With every dead end, your despair began to mount along with your frustration, fingers twisting and pulling at the talisman around your neck fruitlessly.

You threw open another door, but the room was windowless, empty, and identical to the previous room, and the one before, and the one before that.

Instead of moving on immediately, you hesitated.

With a single step you entered the room and quickly slid the door shut behind you before the wasp yōkai could follow, taking a small amount of pleasure in the sound of their bodies hitting the wooden partition.

Drawing as much yōki as you could without killing yourself, you sealed the door with a shimmering barrier; it was weak, but it would suffice for the poisonous bugs.

His eyes were off you. Finally, you were truly alone.

_Alone..._

Collapsing to your knees, you began to weep, which soon turned to sobs.

Your family was gone.

You were alone; the weakest of the southern ryūdaiyōkai and now the only one remaining. What a joke.

Hours passed, eventually your tears ran dry, and you sat in the corner of the room, listening to the repetitive _thunks_ of the demonic insects; still futilely smashing their bodies into your barrier.

Grief expressed, it wasn't long before wrath slowly took its place.

_Naraku._

He was singularly responsible for destroying _everything_ you ever cared about.

You felt shame fill your gut for your earlier thoughts.

How could you long for death when you found yourself in such an optimal position to take vengeance on the despicable spider.

A sudden cease in noise drew your attention to the door and the sheen that covered the aperture cracked and shattered as your barrier was dispelled.

Standing on trembling legs, you tried to swallow your resurfacing fear, reminding yourself that there was nothing more he could take from you.

Your family, your dignity, your virtue, your freedom, even your dragon form... stolen away.

There would be no better opportunity.

If you attacked him and were killed, he'd simply be granting your original wish, you tried to reassured yourself.

Your plan would be to generate a barrier inside his heart and expand it outwards, hopefully destroying the twisted thing. Surely even the abominable Naraku would perish with that?

But to be able to do so you'd need to place your hand on his chest. Easier said than done considering his propensity to restrain your wrists. He wasn't stupid. He knew even you could and _would_ do harm if given the chance.

You'd need to somehow convince him to let you touch him...

Your rapid pace of thoughts were interrupted as the door slid open.


	4. Fallacy

Regardless of whatever internal decision Sesshōmaru had made back then, the fair ryūyōkai's opinion of him changed little. Much to the arrogant lord's consternation, she showed no signs of simply rolling over for him, crudely speaking.

The dragon maiden didn't respond well to intimidation nor force, two of Sesshōmaru's typically modus operandi when trying to acquire something.

Not only that, but her attraction to his sire was a _particularly_ irksome point for the young inuyōkai.

Years passed and he came no closer to attaining the princess, despite his lack of rivals, as few daiyōkai wished to contend with Tōga's callous successor.

Even so, she remained romantically unentangled. preferring more than anything, to drift around the southern countryside freely.

There were several human villages within their territory where she was considered a benevolent guardian; a few even had shrines built to her, though it was no wonder.

For centuries the villagers would leave her various offerings like fruit, alcohol, and jewelry, along with their prayers, and once a year she'd appeared in the sky like a comet in broad daylight, her opalescent scales dazzling radiantly and reflecting the sun in a prism of colors.

She'd sing.

Something sweet and comforting; a wordless hymn to set others at ease as she danced through the wind currents, and the next day they'd find the pearls scattered along the shoreline.

Used to make powerful medicines, it was rumored the jewels could cure even leprosy.

This was her gift to the people of her domain.

Then the war broke out.

Now, as he stood in the rubble of what remained of one such village, Sesshōmaru wondered what the princess would do upon discovering all the occupants were deceased.

Many yōkai held only negative feelings in regards to humans, viewing them as food or pests, but Naraku hardly tolerated them at all, exterminating them as he found them.

The sound of crunching caught the lord's ear and he turned to see a large purple yōkai approaching, chewing on what appeared to be an arm.

He didn't doubt he could easily dispose of the beast, but it smelled of that vile spider, which stayed the inuyōkai's claws. There was information he needed to attain before he tore it to pieces and the last two demons he'd encountered bearing that scent had not been very cooperative.

“You think it will be that easy to tear me apart?” the ogre asked, swallowing the remainder of the limb in a single gulp.

Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes. He had not spoken.

The creature could read thoughts.

“That's right.” It confirmed his silent theory with a wide, jagged sneer. “I am Goshinki and I think you may find I am not so easy quarry as my brothers were. ”

Naraku entered the room, stepping over the corpses of the saimyōshō who'd perished against your barrier and pinning you with a predatory glance.

“Did you think you could hide from me, princess? In my own castle?”

You shook your head, answering softly. “No, my lord, of course not.”

“Oh?” The kumoyōkai raised a suspicious brow at your abnormally respectful manner and you bowed your head, casting your eyes to the floor for fear they'd betray your true emotions.

“I've.. come to realize how foolish I've been... to try to fight you.”

Naraku moved closer, scrutinizing you with his sharp red eyes.

“I've abused you.. violated you.. promised to kill you...”

Practically staring a hole through the floor, you fought the urge to back away as he stopped in front of you, every hair on your body standing on end.

“Are you saying you'll no longer resist me, _despite_ that?”

“Would my continued defiance spare me further anguish?” you asked.

“Do you think your obedience will?”

You did not respond, knowing that it would not; there'd be no end to your misery until the bastard was dead. You simply needed him to believe you intended him no harm or he'd never let down his guard.

You remained silent.

Naraku turned and walked away and you glanced up from the floor in surprise.

For a moment you thought he intended to leave, but instead of exiting the room, he shut the door, turned again, leaning back against it; eyes setting on you.

“Undress.”

Such an order shouldn't have been unexpected.

You knew he'd require some display or action to prove your new sentiment, but it still sent a bolt of dread through you to have to comply.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you began shedding the layers of clothing he'd provided you after destroying your original garments.

Once the last article had been removed you couldn't help the reflex to cover your nudity, despite the fact he'd already seen every inch of your bare body.

Apparently, Naraku found it quite amusing, chuckling at your humility.

“Lower you arms and look at me.” he ordered.

Reluctantly letting the limbs fall to your sides, you raised your eyes to meet his, the crimson orbs hungrily devouring the sight of you.

“Good." He praised. "Now... touch yourself.”

Your jaw dropped, unsure if you'd misheard him. “W-what?”

His eyes flashed dangerously and his lips twisted into a wicked smirk.

“I want you to pleasure yourself in front of me.”

You couldn't help but balk.

To do _that,_ in front of _him..._

He watched you, waiting.

You were sure your face, if not your whole body, was red with humiliation as you mustered up the courage to bring a hand to your breast and began awkwardly fondling yourself. The tips of your fingers on the other hand fluttered over the skin of your hip down your thigh and inward before pausing.

The moment your gaze strayed from him, he scolded you sharply, making you flinch, and you dragged your eyes back to him.

“Keep going.” he demanded.

Ignoring your discomfort, you slid a thin finger between your folds, rubbing over the sensitive pearl of your sex. Whatever pleasure you may have gotten from the bundle of nerves was greatly dampened by the objectionable circumstances and audience.

You pressed and stroked, but the only one getting stimulated from the action was Naraku.

His tongue flicked out over his bottom lip as he watched you, eyes riveted to your every motion.

It made you feel so filthy and you couldn't help the distressed whine that escaped your throat.

You were starting to wonder how long he'd force you to continue when he suddenly halted you with his next order.

“ _Come here_.”

His voice was low and heavy with arousal and you froze.

This was exactly the opening you needed, but your fear of the kumoyōkai wasn't a feeling so easily suppressed. You felt like a rabbit hopping into the jaws of a wolf at its command, knowing full well it was going to be eaten.

Mentally berating yourself, you forced your uncooperative legs into motion, slowly stepping forward until you were in front of him.

“On your knees.”

Your jaw clenched, but you obeyed.

Kneeling down put your face right at level with his ardent erection, straining prominently against his clothing. It was obvious what he wanted, as he looked down at you expectantly, and you raised your trembling hands up to the tie of his hakama, undoing the knot and freeing him.

Letting out a shaky breath, your fingers grazed over the skin of his shaft, making it twitch.

A small voice in the back of your mind suggested what a great opportunity this would be to castrate the devil, but no; mutilating him wouldn't solve the problem.

He was a scourge. He needed to be eliminated.

All you needed was to get him to lower his guard, you repeated to yourself. If you could just get your palm over his heart for a couple seconds it'd all be over. You'd suffer through this; you _had_ to.

Leaning forward, you took him into your mouth, Naraku's subsequent groan of pleasure making you want to shudder.

You bobbed your head up and down, trying not to gag on the thick flesh or think too hard about what you were doing. His fingers combed through your hair before taking a firm, though not particularly painful hold near your scalp.

You rested your hands on his thighs, gently massaging the muscles, to which he gave another pleased response.

Even with your motive clear in your mind, it made you sick to bring any pleasure to the despicable warlord.

Licking down along the throbbing shaft, you slid a hand from his thigh to his hip, following with your tongue. Your other hand replaced your mouth on his cock, continuing to gently pump up and down.

Under the pretense of appreciating his physique, you slowly slid your hand further up; over his abdomen, under his ribs... across his chest, feeling for the vital organ.

Your heart dropped in confusion.

Where was his heartbeat?

You couldn't feel it.

It was like the organ wasn't even there...

Before you could speculate further, your wrist was seized and you looked up to meet Naraku's gaze.

In contrast to your panic, his expression was calm, dark, and so _so_ smug.

“Looking for something?”

“You have no heart!” you gasped.

“How hurtful.” he replied sarcastically. “Of course I do. I simply keep it somewhere more... secure.”

Somewhere secure? How was that possible?

Confused and alarmed, you tried to pull away from the warlord, but his grip on your wrist turned bruising as he refused to release you.

“ _Tsk tsk_ ,” he chided. “You were doing so well... You nearly had me convinced you would behave and now I'll have to punish you. How _unfortunate_.”

His tone hardly suggested disappointment and your eyes widened as you realized that he'd known of your deceit from the very beginning. He had simply been toying with you the whole time.

“You- !”

The sentence went unfinished.

Without further warning, he twisted your wrist behind your back, spinning your body and slamming you face first into the wall. Kicking your legs apart, he pressed himself flush against your back, his length pressing hard against your buttocks.

You felt tentacles begin to twine around your body, coiling around your waist and down your legs; another one slithering up between your breasts and around your neck.

“No, _no_!” 

You struggled in his hold, but he had every part of you restrained.

Grabbing a horn, he bent your head back and you whimpered as he ran his hot tongue along the column of your throat. You could feel his fangs trailing along your skin like he was about to bite you.

The punishment was interrupted, when the door suddenly slid open.

A female yōkai with black hair and red eyes entered. You'd never seen her before, but she looked less than surprised at what she'd walked into, surveying the scene with an expression akin to disdain.

“There _better_ be a good reason for this disturbance, Kagura.” Naraku turned his head towards the woman impatiently.

“Goshinki is dead.” she stated without preamble.

“And?”

“So are Jūrōmaru and Kagerōmaru.”

“ _Tch-_ Useless.. _._ ”

He turned back to you, tendrils beginning to retreat from you body even as he kept your head craned back and whispered softy into your ear.

“Worry not, my princess, “ he promised. “We'll continue this later.”

Then, tilting your face to his he pressed his lips hard onto yours.

Horrified, you tried to recoil, but he held you still, shoving his tongue into your mouth forcibly and possessively ravaging the orifice.

Of everything he'd done to you; somehow this felt the most profane.


	5. Flight

When Naraku swept out of the room, you noticed the woman, Kagura, did not follow after him immediately.

She silently considered you for a few seconds longer before departing and, though you may have been mistaken, her gaze seemed... you couldn't put your finger on it... commiserative?

Who was she anyway? You'd never seen her before, but she smelled just like Naraku.

Family perhaps? Maybe a sister?

Other than the pale child, she was the only other person you'd seen besides the kumodaiyōkai, but unlike the girl, who had little to no presence, this woman gave off a completely different vibe and you found yourself dwelling on her, long after night had fallen.

She didn't seem particularly fond of Naraku, nor he of her, if the tone he'd taken was anything to go by...

Why did she serve him? Was she his prisoner as well? She seemed free enough to come and go as she pleased...

As luck would have it, your questions would be answered sooner rather than later.

Naraku didn't hold much regard for the lives of others. Even those considered his allies were viewed more as pawns to the warlord than anything else.

That being said, he found it exceedingly aggravating when his servants died, because it also usually meant they failed him and Naraku did _not_ like failure _._

Losing incarnations was worse, due to the effort they took to create.

Having _three_ destroyed was downright infuriating.

Of course, the slap in the face didn't _truly_ come until he found out who was responsible for his losses though, in retrospect, it should not have been a surprise.

The mutt was getting uncomfortably close to his actual lair.

It briefly crossed the demon's mind that he could discard his hostage like he originally planned; snap her delicate little neck and leave her corpse somewhere for him to sniff out.

It might curb the lord's relentless pursuit of him or at least demoralize him enough for Naraku to get the jump on him... but the idea was quickly abandoned.

The thought of giving up his pretty toy suddenly didn't sit well with the spider and he realized he'd grown rather possessive of the princess.

Even now he was less inclined to deal with this annoyance and more eager to return to his unfinished business with the woman, the taste of her lips still fresh in his mind.

“Enlighten me, Sesshōmaru.” He addressed the daiyōkai with an unconcerned tone, despite his storm of thoughts. “Why all this effort for a woman you've never even lain with? Surely you've throngs of paramours and admirers to choose from.”

As usual, the western lord did not reply verbally, preferring to let his claws do the talking.

He easily slashed through Naraku's form, fully aware it was merely a puppet, then turned as another emerged from the shadows.

“These tricks of yours grow stale.” he commented. “Are you too cowardly to face me in person?”

“Don't flatter yourself.” The kumoyōkai gave a wry chuckle at the obvious provocation. “An emperor is a busy person needed in many places. You're but an _item_ on my agenda.”

Though, in truth, the accusation hit closer to the mark than he'd admit.

He was loathe to concede to the fact; Tōga's son was even more formidable than his father had been, if only for his resistance to the spider's tricks and venom.

Naraku wasn't weak; not by any stretch of the word, but he preferred to avoid the dirty work himself and a straightforward fight with Sesshōmaru was not something he was certain he could win.

So while he _was_ nearby to better control things, he remained cloaked and hidden.

Best not to risk it.

“You're gutless.” the dog demon insisted. “And pathetic. Lowly vermin, forcing himself on women.”

“Just one woman.” he corrected casually.

Sesshōmaru's attempts to get a rise out of him were blatant, but two could play at that game.

“I did take her by force.” Naraku acknowledged with a satisfied sneer. “Over and _over_ as she cried out so _deliciously._ ”

He raised a hand up and a swarm of saimyōshō began to stream out from the trees, blocking the daiyōkai's light whip with their bodies at the cost of several of their lives.

The warlord continued.

“And I want you to know, when I am done with our “business” here, I plan to take her again and _again_ until she _begs_ for mercy, and do you know what _I_ think, Sesshōmaru?” the kumoyokai asked the seething lord as the number of demonic insects rose into the hundreds, their collective buzzing reaching deafening volumes.

His wicked grin widened.

“I think you're _jealous_.”

Dawn had not yet broken and sleep evaded you.

There was no way to know when Naraku would return and you could not bear to wait stationary so, once again, you began anxiously wandering the labyrinthine castle.

An hour later found you at the highest point of the fortress, looking out at the nebulous firmament.

The air was hazy with miasma, but you could still see the moon; currently a thin crescent of silver hanging in the sky.

You lifted a hand and reached out, extending your fingers.

This was the closest you could get to freedom.

“You could always end it, you know.”

You turned towards the voice.

Perched atop the building, sat Kagura, fanning herself as she watched you.

“Escape from Naraku is unlikely,” she continued cynically. “Except through death, of course.”

“Is that what you would do?” You questioned, already knowing the answer. You could see it in the woman's scarlet eyes; the stubbornness in her character.

Though she did not reply to the question, Kagura did flick her wrist, releasing a rippling blade of wind from her fan that sliced your accompanying saimyōshō in half, before dropping down from the roof to land beside you, currents of air wrapping around her to ease the descent.

Wind yōkai.

You nudged the insect corpses off the ledge of the balcony with your toe and an expression of distaste, but noted with interest that no more came to take their place.

“That's better.” Kagura commented, snapping her fan shut.

Maybe it was a trap; a ruse to gain your trust, but you didn't see what the point would be. Naraku already had you right where he wanted you, though you wouldn't put it past him to be the type to nurture false hope just for the sick glee of crushing it later.

So why did you feel like you could speak freely?

“As long as I'm alive... ” You quietly responded to her original comment before turning your face back to the sky. “..there could be a chance. Every moment I still live could be an opportunity.”

A chance to escape.

An opportunity to destroy Naraku and avenge your family.

If he kept his heart somewhere else, you'd just have to find the damn thing.

“You've still got spirit... I'm impressed.”

You turned to look at Kagura, when she suddenly reached out and grabbed the talisman around your neck.

“Hold still.” she said, when you instinctively drew back, and began pulling.

“What're you- ?!”

You gasped as what looked like black sparks, crackled around the woman's fingers. The skin on her hand began to burn and crack and she winced, but continued to yank, until the cord suddenly snapped.

Just like that, it was off....

“I better not regret this.” the red eyed woman muttered to herself.

You stared, wide eyed, mouth agape.

“How... I thought....?”

“Only Naraku could remove it?” she finished your sentence, while analyzing the damage to her palm. “Close enough, I suppose.”

So they _were_ family of some sort? Regardless of that, the more _pressing_ question was:

“Why would you help me?”

The kazeyōkai tossed the remainder of the charm aside and it turned to dust in the wind.

“ _My_ bindings aren't so easily broken. _”_ She answered, lifting a hand to pull a feather from her hair ornament. “Starting now time grows short so you tell that lord of yours, I'm counting on him.”

“What do you- ?”

A powerful gust cut you off, sweeping around the woman.

Throwing the feather into the air above her, it instantly grew several times larger until it was the size of a small boat, which she leapt up to settle upon.

“From here, you're on your own.” She called out, extending her arm and pointing straight up. “The barrier is weakest at its zenith. Go _now!_ ”

You didn't have to be told twice.

Your sclera bled black and your iris' gold as you embraced the familiar feeling of slipping into your dragon form.

Corallium horns branched out; claws and teeth grew and sharpened as your body lengthened.

Your lapis hair traveled like fire in a mane down the ridge of your back and radiant scales armored you.

Like a bolt of white lightning, you shot towards the epicenter of Naraku's barrier, crashing against it with a sonorous shriek and all of your force.

It cracked and shattered and you were instantly hit by a thick cloud of miasma, your body writhing in the sky as the fumes choked and disoriented you and the poison stung your flesh.

You let out another frantic screech and strove to climb higher and higher, even as you grew weaker and weaker, trying to escape the fetid aura that seemed to cling to you.

Through your blurring vision you could see the cloud break; could practically taste the fresh air.

It was _so_ close!

But you were slowing down, your strength rapidly draining away.

For a moment you seem to just drift as you ascension stalled.

Then you were _falling_...

Your consciousness.... _fading_...

If you fell into the concentrated miasma outside of Naraku's barrier, you'd be dead within the hour, but just like the first miserable day you were brought to this hellhole, your body was unresponsive to your will.

You shut your eyes.

Both daiyōkai turned to the northeast and the sky splitting scream that could be heard over miles and the din of ten hundred saimyōshō's wings.

The spider scowled.

He knew immediately what had occurred, though not exactly _how._

In the instant of distraction, Sesshōmaru charged forward, cleaving the puppet in two before taking to his light orb form and shooting off in the direction of the cry.

Naraku was quick to follow.

To label the two male's speed as superhuman was the definition of an understatement.

While it was hardly uncommon for yōkai to boast a fleetness of foot beyond that of human capability, these two were in a league of their own.

Meters covered in the blink of an eye; miles covered in a breath.

With the barrier destroyed, the self-proclaimed emperor's castle now stood exposed in the center of the miasma withered landscape. In the sky above, what looked like falling stars, cascaded down towards the structure.

Not stars, Sesshōmaru noted, _scales_ ; catching the limited rays of moonlight, glinting in their decent before vanishing into the poisonous smog below and there, amidst the raining opal plates, the ryūhime.

He could feel the warlord at his heels as he retook his humanoid form and sped to intercept the falling woman as she too disappeared into the effluvium.

Naturally immune to most poisons, the inuyōkai was unaffected by the deadly vapors and he dove after the princess. In his peripheral vision, Naraku's serpentine tentacles snaked through the air, racing towards the same goal.

He reached her first by mere seconds and half expected her to be yet another fake, but the instant he caught her confirmed she was real.

With a yell of outrage, Naraku tried to whip the dog demon out of the sky, but the strike was evaded and, with the ryūyōkai secure in his arms, Sesshōmaru drew his sword and unleashed a powerful wave of yōki that smashed against his adversary and provided the opening needed to escape the fumes with the unconscious woman.


	6. Truth

_Under the sprawling canopy of an long lived tree, you quietly peeked around the thick trunk; trying with all your might to suppress the giggles that bubbled in your chest._

_On the opposite side of the tree, your brother, Soratatsu dozed peacefully; unaware of the presence lurking._

_You moved closer, inch by inch, freezing after every motion to gauge if he'd awoken before continuing._

_The established objective was in sight, poking out from his robes; a long bamboo fue that he always kept on him._

_When Soratatsu played the instrument, it was magnificent. Even the wind would stop its howling to listen to the ethereal melodies your brother produced._

_You wanted to do that too!_

_All you needed was a little practice._

_You'd borrow it, just for a bit, and return it before he woke up. He'd never even know it was gone!_

_A little encouragement from an equally incorrigible_ _Tetsuryū_ _bolstered your resolve and you both set out that morning._

_Said brother was currently hidden behind an adjacent tree, watching on eagerly._

_Determined, you carefully reached over Soratatsu, your small fingers closing in on the fue..._

_The tips of your claws just barely grazed the bamboo surface..._

“ _You could try **asking** first, perhaps?”_

_You yelped in alarm, losing your balance and falling onto the older ryūyōkai's gut with an 'oof' as he chuckled._

“ _Heeh~ Were you awake the whole time, nii-sama?!”_

_He rolled his turquoise eyes. “No, not until the giggling...”_

“ _Oh.” You pouted for a moment before your face brightened again. “So can I borrow you fue?”_

“ _Certainly not.”_

_The pout returned full force. “Why not?”_

_Soratatsu shook his head and lifted you from his lap._

“ _This is no ordinary fue, imōto. It's a powerful thing, and anything powerful is dangerous if not taken seriously. Remember that.”_

_You nodded, shuffling you feet a little before asking bashfully. “Will you play a song for me then?”_

“ _Oh? Would Tetsuryū care to hear one as well?”_

_The cobalt haired yōkai popped out from his concealment, not nearly as contrite as yourself._

“ _Yes!”_

_Your brother sighed, but then smiled patiently. “Alright. Just one.”_

Despite what your senses told you, when your dream faded and your eyes opened, you expected to be back in the forsaken castle with Naraku; the daiyōkai grinning wickedly as he prepared to punish you for your attempt to flee.

Freedom seemed too good to be true.

However, the air smelled clean and it wasn't the warlord's crimson eyes that met yours as you sat up, but the golden orbs of the aloof western lord.

“Sesshōmaru...?”

Your voice was weak; barely above a whisper. Your body felt just as feeble as you glanced around at the unfamiliar walls.

“Where is this?”

“West.” The inudaiyōkai answered vaguely.

“Naraku?” You inquired.

“Still alive, for now.”

Mixed feeling stirred in your chest.

You felt disappointed the monster continued to breathe, but grateful you might still have the chance to aid in his demise, and though you did not wish to acknowledge it, you also held a seed of fear deep inside you.

Surely he knew of your escape by now.

You doubted he was ignorant to you shattering his barrier as you fled. As long as he lived, he could return you to that reality, that awful existence. The thought of that torment brought another important subject to the forefront of your mind.

“What about Kagura?”

The demoness had risked her life for you with her actions, but did not appear to be around, though she'd mentioned the dog demon. Was she safe?

“The wind witch? I imagine she's returned to her master.”

Your brow furrowed. “What do you mean? Are you not allies?”

“Hardly.” Sesshōmaru scoffed. “She's Naraku's ilk.”

“She _helped_ me _._ ”

  
“Her motives are hardly altruistic.” He advised coldly. “When our paths crossed I would have slain her, like I did her brothers but, in exchange for her life, she told me where to find the spider's fortress; where to find _you._ I spared her then; we are even.”

You moved to stand as your strength began to return, your body finally recovering from the miasma's poison.

“You may owe her nothing, but that's irrelevant to me. I thank you, for you must have found me and taken me from that place, but if not for her I'd still be.....”

“ _Worry not, my princess, we'll continue this later.”_

You shuddered at the memory and shook your head. “It doesn't matter. My objective remains the same. I'll destroy Naraku for everything he's done.”

There were surely a few remaining daiyōkai lords you could try to call upon for assistance, you hoped.

How many more had since been slain like your father? How many had since _joined_ the 'Emperor'?

Regardless of that, you'd be sure his poisonous jaki would not get the better of you again.

Sesshōmaru stepped towards you, pulling you from your musings.

“Naraku is no longer your concern. You'll leave him to me.”

You cast him an astonished look.

Did he really think he could tell you not to go after the one who'd _murdered_ your father, _corrupted_ your brother, savagely _used_ you and you'd simply _obey_?

He was mistaken.

“You're just as charming as I remember.” You commented sarcastically and went to pass him.

“You _reek_ of that foul demon.”

The unexpected words stung you almost physically and froze you in place as they instantly conjured up vivid recollections of the past couple weeks.

You found yourself unable to garner a response to his callous statement; too overwhelmed with other emotions.

Like disgust... and shame.

Leave it to Sesshōmaru to rub salt in fresh wounds like it was a skill.

“There is a hot spring south of this castle.” the lord continued in your silence. “Bathe.”

Without another word, the inudaiyōkai turned on his heel and left.

For a moment, you simply stood there, internally fighting conflicting feelings.

Following any order the arrogant male gave you put a sour taste in you mouth, but in truth, you wanted nothing more to scrub every inch of your flesh until you couldn't remember the sensation of Naraku's fingers on your skin.

Meanwhile,

The aforementioned kumoyōkai was in a state of anger the likes of which Kagura had never witnessed before.

He'd smashed large portions of his fortress in his fury, storming through the halls.

The warlord was used to being in control.

Once that was lost, his composure followed shortly after.

When he located her, there was no time to react before she was suspended by her neck, in the constricting grip of an unyielding tendril.

“ _How did she get free!?”_

“I-I... don't..know.” She struggled to answer and he threw her harshly to the ground.

“If I find you had _any_ hand in this, Kagura,” He threatened. “I don't think I need to tell you what the consequences will be.”

“Don't be absurd.” she replied reservedly, a hand on her healing throat. “I'd be a fool to rebel against the one who held my life in his hands.”

Naraku cast her a glance that spoke volumes on how little he trusted the woman, but he agreed it made no sense for the demoness to antagonize him, when he could end her with so little effort.

“Good, because you're going to bring her back to me.”

Sesshōmaru had heard every taunt Naraku hurled at him.

He knew what the ryūhime had gone through, but nothing had really driven the point home like the scent of the spider covering the woman like an obscene shroud.

The rage it had stirred in him was... intense.

He wanted it _gone._

There were two ways to remove the smell: erase it or replace it.

Every fiber of his being demanded the latter, but he'd ignored the compulsion. He was not some mindless yōkai, governed by it's most base of urges.

When she located him hours later however, smelling purely of herself, he felt that control waver slightly, unable to banish a thought.

Blank parchment was appealing, but demanded ink.

“I wanted to thank you again.” You announced, when you finally found the the dog demon. “And to let you know I'm leaving.”

Originally you'd been intending to give him a piece of your mind for thinking he had any say in your actions, but his hand in your liberation from Naraku, stayed your tongue.

It was also the only reason you bothered to tell him of your planned departure, since disappearing without a word seemed in poor taste, considering.

He turned to you, expression as stoic as always, and stated, like it was a matter of fact.

“No, you're not.”

“I am.” You insisted.

Once again he approached and you stood your ground defiantly as he towered over your smaller form.

“You'll stay here, under my protection.”

“I won't.”

A burst of palpable demonic energy washed over you, making you flinch, but you fought the urge to acquiesce to the oppressive power, face flushing noticeably as you turned away, unable to maintain eye contact with him any longer.

“I'm not _asking_.”

Despite what you owed him, you couldn't suppress your irritation at his _audacity_.

“And instead you'd have me, what?” You demanded. “Remain with _you_? _You_ who have despised me for as long as I can remember?! Don't make me la-”

You were up against the wall before you could finish the sentence, caged in by the tall, pale inuyōkai.

He held you there, one hand just between your jaw and throat, gently, but with enough pressure to discourage any further defiance.

He leaned down, face centimeters from yours.

“I'd _have you_ until you are _hoarse_ of my name.” he proclaimed boldly, his tone leaving no room for dispute.

A shiver traveled up your body, entirely unlike the ones Naraku coaxed from you.

Your mouth opened, but no words would come out.

His breath fanned over your lips, and your heart pounded in your chest, but he did not close the gap, much to your relief.

Fingers ghosted over your skin as he removed his hand from you neck, his eyes trailing over the pale column.

“I'll not have you fall into his possession again.”

“Why are you acting this way?” You asked, more confused than anything.

Sesshōmaru straightened his stance and you welcomed the increase in distance, however small it was.

He'd never shown you anything but contempt, and _now_ he suddenly had some sort of desirous intent towards you? Was this some sort of sick joke?

“Ryūtensei is dead.” the lord declared. “But there was a time he saw fit to commit you to me. Your own requirements have been met by no other. Even now, your body submits to me, though you subconsciously fight it. Do you understand?”

His expression remained neutral, but his eyes, like his words, pierced you and pinned you in place.

“You've always been mine.”


End file.
